By NICO SCAVELLA

Tribune Staff Reporter

nscavella@tribunemedia.net

UNITED Democratic Party Deputy Leader John Pinder has said he is “ready to take on the challenge” of unseating Fox Hill MP Fred Mitchell in the upcoming general election, expressing a need to “rescue” Fox Hill residents from a politician whose government is “giving The Bahamas away”.

Mr Pinder, who is the UDP’s Fox Hill candidate, said while he “respects” Mr Mitchell’s representation over the years, to put the foreign affairs and immigration minister “back in power is to bring about some laws we are against and continuously cause the Bahamas to be sold to foreigners.”

Speaking to The Tribune in a recent interview, Mr Pinder acknowledged that Mr Mitchell has “always been a very accessible member of Parliament” who has remained visible in the area and is responsible for ensuring that “most of the necessary infrastructure that’s needed in Fox Hill is in place.”

However, Mr Pinder said he has “no choice” but to oppose Mr Mitchell for being “part of a team” that is “trying to pass some laws that I think most Bahamians and Fox Hillians are against.”

Mr Mitchell, a senior Cabinet minister, has won the constituency in three consecutive elections.

However, to his credit, Mr Pinder is a veteran trade unionist who has waded through the tricky terrain of union politics to win the Bahamas Public Services Union (BPSU) and National Congress of Trade Unions Bahamas (NCTUB) presidencies in five and two consecutive elections, respectively.

“Certainly I am ready to take on the challenge,” Mr Pinder said. “I had been asked to do it some time ago, but I respect Mitchell’s representation. However, I don’t feel as though he has done enough to secure Fox Hill. Fox Hill used to be one of the safest places in New Providence to live, I don’t see any economic activities taking place in Fox Hill or for Fox Hillians, so I want to get a shot at doing that, and I want to build on some things that I thought he did not actually expand on.

“We’ve got to rescue The Bahamas, and unfortunately Mr Mitchell happens to be part of a team that is actually giving The Bahamas away. We’re losing The Bahamas, and to put Fred Mitchell back in power is to bring about some laws we are against and continuously cause The Bahamas to be sold to foreigners.

“So in order for us to rescue The Bahamas and to protect The Bahamas, unfortunately Mr Mitchell is going to have to go along with the rest of the government.”

Mr Pinder stressed that he does not have an issue with Mr Mitchell’s representation, save for a few things that can be improved within the constituency, but is rather perturbed by Mr Mitchell’s involvement with a government that is seeking to “push” certain laws on Bahamians, though he did not specify what those laws are.

“Mr Mitchell has always been a very accessible member of Parliament,” he said. “He’s visible in the area, he does, I think as best as he can. Most of the necessary infrastructure that’s needed in Fox Hill is in place. There’s a need for more maintenance. There’s a lot of things that needs to be improved. I have different vision from him to expand on some things that (are) there.

“I cannot tell you that we were not proud to have him as a member of Parliament, except for some things that his government is doing in trying to pass some laws that I think most Bahamians and Fox Hillians are against. So if he’s going to push those laws, then we’re going to have to get rid of him. And it appears as though he is on that track of trying to impose some laws on the Bahamians that we already voted against in the (gender equality) referendum.

“So for that reason I have no choice now but to oppose him and try to save The Bahamas, and try to save Fox Hillians, and bring equal opportunity for them in terms of gaining economic emancipation. We need to be able to pay our bills. There’s no reason for not one Bahamian to be broke. And Fred Mitchell and his government has not done sufficient to tap into our natural resources to bring economic freedom to every Bahamian.”

Mr Pinder first announced his intentions to contest the Fox Hill seat mid-last year, though at the time he had plans to run as an Independent candidate. However, that subsequently changed when his project “The People’s Movement” merged with Marco City MP Greg Moss’ newly formed UDP to create the United People’s Movement (UPM).

Last week, party officials revealed the party has reverted to being called the UDP.

Mr Pinder said now that his candidacy is solidified, he can focus on providing Fox Hill residents with “economic empowerment” and opportunities to improve life within that community.

“I don’t want them to always be looking for handouts every time they see you,” he said. “I want to put them in a position where when they see me, they want to offer me something. That’s the kind of position I want to put Fox Hillians in. I want to make it safe again. There’s a spirit over Fox Hill that needs to be removed, and I pray to God that the churches will get together and move that spirit, and hopefully Bahamians and Fox Hillians will buy into my vision and the party’s vision for a better Bahamas.”

He added: “I born in Fox Hill. People have been calling me and ask me to come. I’ve started a small bit of moving around, I wanted to ensure that I was actually given the nod. I’ve fully made up my mind now - because every political party was after me, all was after me - and I am satisfied that through prayers and intervention from the Holy Spirit that I have aligned myself with the right crew who wants to bring about righteous governance and who wants to remove the economic burden off persons.”